A Michigan gardening blog about gardening, preserving, cooking, local garden history and local garden happenings.
The goal of this blog is to encourage others to garden, provide useful tips, to assist the greater community via fundraising, and to raise awareness of community garden projects.
Michigan and Midwestern ecology, nature, animals, and plants are also discussed.

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Friday, January 30, 2015

The Lhomwe tribe of Mozambique was living peacefully in the land that is now southern Malawi. They lived the life of farmers. They built their homes from adobe mud, and their roofs from the local grass. They grew fields of cassava, "dimbas" or gardens of vegetables, they hunted and gathered.

Kalongonda also known as Mucuna pruriens

something horrible happened...

The Ngoni tribe appeared from the south. This tribe was running away from the renowned Shaka Zulu of South Africa. As the Ngoni escaped north, they pillaged and plundered local villages. They did not request help from the local tribes -- they simply attacked!

The Lhomwe got word that the Ngoni were approaching their village. Having heard about the fierceness of the Ngoni, they ran off to hide in the "bush." They left everything behind, including the partially cooked kalongonda.

Now, every member of the Lhomwe knew that you cannot simply eat kalongonda. You must cook it, rinse it, cook it again, rinse it again etc. All of this work to wash away the poison and achieve nutrition!

The Ngoni did not know this. They charged into the Lhomwe village. They looked around for anything that they could steal. Anything they could eat.

That is when the Ngoni discovered the kalongonda, still warm in the pots that the women of the Lhomwe were using to cook it. Still warm over the fires.

The Ngoni ate. The Ngoni died.

And this, my children, is the story of how a greedy, fearsome tribe was brought low by a bean.

The morals of the story: Do not steal. Ask for help when you need it. Never consume a plant that you do not recognize. It could be poison.

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Paint the meat of the squash with the maple syrup using a kitchen brush. (Alternately, peel and halve the sweet potatoes and paint them with the maple syrup.)

Place the squash on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until soft enough to scrape out of the shell easily.

Pour all of the vegetable broth into a blender. Add the nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and black pepper.

Remove the squash (or sweet potato) from the oven. Scrape the meat of the squash out of the shell and add to the blender mix. (Alternately, add the sweet potato to the blender mix.)

Blend the mixture until it is creamy without any chunks.

Pour into a pan and heat to a simmer. (You could also do this by zapping it in a microwave for 2 minutes.) Remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream until combined.

Pour the soup into bowls and garnish with raisins if desired.

Eat and be warm!! :)

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Thursday, January 22, 2015

I am very excited to announce that I attended my first Master Gardener Volunteer class last night! "What?" you say, "You're getting a master's degree in gardening?" No - no I am not. Allow me to explain...

It is not a master's degree. It is not a degree or professional certification of any kind. It does not require any specific prior education. (Although you really should be able to read and understand basic science to get much out of it, and it could look good on a resume.)

It is a program designed to train gardeners in research-based gardening information and practices that can then be passed on to the community through volunteer efforts. It includes about 45 hours worth of classes taught by folks from the Extension Office who do have degrees in things like forestry, horticulture and botany. When the class is finished, the students go on to complete 40 hours of volunteer work in order to become certified. To maintain their certification in the following years, participants must complete 5 hours of continuing education and 15 hours of volunteer service.

For information about the S. Korea program, click here: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/mg/eb247/entry_6138/ (My apologies to S. Koreans. I am sure there is a direct website for G.A.R.E.S. & the master gardener program, but I do not speak Korean, so I could not locate it!)

How did this Begin?

The history of the Master Gardener's Volunteer Program really begins with the history of the land grant universities and the history of the extension offices.
In 1862, president Abraham Lincoln established the Morrill Land-Grant Act. This was a statute that allowed for the establishment of land-grant colleges for the purposes of teaching agriculture in the U.S.A. Michigan State University became the first university to take advantage of this act, becoming the nation's first agricultural university on February 12, 1855.

In 1972, the Extension Service of Washington state started the first Master Gardener program. By 1978, Michigan also had a program that was first held in Wayne county. This first class had 25 participants. Today, the Michigan Master Gardener Program has trained over 30,000 people!

What Else Does the Extension Office Do?

Besides running the Master Gardener Program, the Extension Offices do a lot to teach about a variety of things. They have classes, pamphlets and newsletters on nearly everything related to agriculture, horticulture, natural resources, food, business, and even family issues. They run the 4-H club, do soil testing, help farmers and gardeners, train restaurant workers, run a class on food preservation... the list goes on and on! I picked up a catalog while I was at the class. It contains 70 pages that only list and describe the available programs! I was quite impressed. For more information check out their websites: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/ (for Michigan), or http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/ (for the U.S.A.)

If you live in the U.S., Canada or Korea, I hope that you will consider looking into this program for yourself. If you live elsewhere, perhaps you have a similar program available or can start one! Either way, I hope you found this post helpful.

Happy Gardening!

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Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Teaching the children where their food comes from, how to garden, how to cook, how to farm, how to produce food for themselves ensures the health and survival of all of us. Help to make the future a bright one!

Saturday, January 17, 2015

One of my favorite places to be is up North on a cool summer's day surrounded by the luscious smell and whispering quiet of a white pine forest. The needles underfoot muffle the sound of footsteps while a gentle breeze carries their smell through the air. The long, soft needles swish gently far overhead. This place possesses an unparalleled sense of peace that endures in my memory.

The eastern white pine is a magnificent evergreen tree. It towers over most other trees, typically reaching 50-80 feet (15-24 meters), but

can occasionally grow up to 200 feet (61 meters). They can reach a width up to 40 feet (12 meters) and have been known to live up to 500 years! It is no wonder that standing among them induces a sense of timelessness, spiritual calm, and even of being very small within a very big world.

This tree was once found nearly everywhere throughout the state of Michigan. The lumber was so sought after that over 160 million trees were cut down as lumber between the years of 1834 and 1897. The wood was used for everything from building the railways to rebuilding the city of Chicago after the great fire of 1871. This lumber was an important source of income for the state. The lumber industry was the financial bridge between the days when the first settlers hunted and traded for fur and the subsequent advent of the automobile industry. Due to its financial importance to the state the eastern white pine was legally made the state tree on October 14, 1955. (Act 7 of 1955)

This is definitely a tree worth learning about! So here are the facts:

Bark: On young trees, the bark is a smooth grey-green color. On older trees, the bark is a thick grey-brown or reddish-brown with prominent ridges.

Where Found: Zones 3-8 in xeric northern mine forests and mixed hardwood forests. In Canada they range from Manitoba across to Newfoundland. In the U.S.A. They range from Minnesota to the Atlantic Coast and south along the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia and Alabama. Please click this link to the USDA's map for current range.

Reproduction & Establishment: Pollination takes place between April and June depending upon latitude. The trees can produce viable seed once they reach an age of 20-30 years. The seed germinates in spring and is dispersed by wind and wild animals.

Environmental Importance: The seed feeds: squirrels, voles, mice and 16 species of song bird.
The foliage feeds: snowshoe hares, deer and cottontails. The roots of young trees feed pocket gophers. Due to their height, white pines are the nesting site of 81% of bald eagles, 77% of osprey and the cavities house a variety of nesting wildlife. Bears also like to climb white pines as an escape from predators.

White pines are moderately fire resistant. Mature trees can survive most surface fires. Seedlings do not usually survive.

White pines are drought tolerant.

Hartwick Pines State Park near Grayling, Michigan has a 50 acre stand of virgin white pines as well as a museum of logging history in Michigan. It is a wonderful place to visit!

I hope that my blog has inspired you to seek out and spend more time among the eastern white pines. To learn more, please visit the web pages listed in the works cited section below, and check out some of the links to the books as well!

If you have a moment, please remember to share this page via social media using the links below.If you have a moment more, and perhaps some cash, please consider donating to the worthy causes with links to the right of the page, or consider using the amazon links or 313 sails link to go shopping. As always, thank you for reading.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

The attacks in France, threats by North Korea, wars, protests, global resource inequities and chaos in the news have had me thinking lately. I have been considering the social-political implications of gardening. The quiet POWER of gardening. I believe that gardening is one of the few practices that is simultaneously inoffensive to any religious sensibility, inoffensive to any political party and still has the ability to change the world.

Gardening can delight the Democrats (left wing, liberals): By gardening you support the environment. You reduce the use of fossil fuels by walking out to your back yard to gather your own food instead of driving somewhere to buy it. You reduce the number of animals killed by eating more vegetables. You grow food and flowers that can be shared with others. What touches the hippy sensibilities more than giving “Mother Earth” and her trees big old hugs?

Gardening can make the Republicans (right wing, conservatives) happy: By gardening or farming you create products that can be sold or traded. This supports the economy. You can sell products and ideas that support gardening, which also supports the economy. You produce food that during war time allows the army and civilians to carry on and helps to preserve national security (think victory gardens).

Gardening can make Libertarians and even Anarchists smile: By gardening you can become self-sufficient. You can homestead, go off grid and support yourself with the food that you grow for yourself. You don’t need “the man” to provide for you!

Gardening can bring joy to religious groups: At least three major religions (Christianity, Judaism & Islam) actually yearn for the perfect garden: Eden. All other religions venerate life and want to support it. Many religious leaders from Buddhists to Catholics spend their lives praying and tending gardens. What better than growing a garden as an expression of praise for a higher power?

Gardening can make Atheists, Agnostics and Scientists of any religious or a-religious persuasion glad: Where better to watch the science of nature in action than in a garden? Mendel’s peas were grown in a garden. Darwin’s observations were all of plants and animals. Biology, botany, chemistry, and physics all take place within a garden. What a glorious microcosm to study, love, and be in the “now” with!

The only political party that *might* be made unhappy by gardening is an autocracy. It is very difficult to starve your people into submission when they grow their own food.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

The good news: Whoever did this during the night was not present in the morning. So I assume that
they are alive and well enough to drive away. They did not hit the mailbox, nor did they hit the
electrical pole.

The bad news: SOMEONE TOOK OUT MY LIBERTY APPLE SAPLING WITH THEIR BUMPER!!!

It has been extremely cold out lately. The high today was 13F
(-10.6C) and the low was 6F (-14.4C). It has snowed, and we live at the
bottom of a hill... it was bound to happen.

You can't see under the snow in this picture, but there is a small, triangular garden bed that sits on the edge of our property, in the front yard, near our mailbox. Last summer, I planted a liberty apple tree there just behind the box bush that was already there when we moved in to the house. I had also planted several bulbs in the fall.

As you can see, the tree is a goner. The bush is badly damaged. I will probably have to remove it. Strangely, this isn't the first apple tree that I have lost in the winter. At my last home, I planted a liberty apple in the back yard that got run over by the DTE truck which drove into the yard to fix an electrical pole, and was blind to my poor tree. The tree was flattened like the one in the
picture above. It wasn't even under the electrical line! It was just between the road and the pole at the opposite side of the yard. That incident actually made me very angry because it was caused by someone's carelessness and inconsideration. At least this time I can choose to believe that it was an unavoidable accident.

Lesson learned: Do not plant new trees in areas where people are likely to slide off the road and crush them.

Original plan for this garden bed: Originally, I had planned to plant butterfly & bee friendly perennials and annuals in this small plot along with some bulbs. However, I had planned for the apple tree to grow to its maximum height of 15 feet (4.6 meters) so that it would disguise the electrical pole in the front yard without interfering with the electrical line itself.

The new plan: I will still plant the pollinator-friendly perennials. In place of the tree I may either plant a less expensive bush such as a red twig dogwood, or a tall ornamental grass. Either of these would get tall and disguise the pole a bit. Neither would be so tall as to interfere with the wires. I would also be less upset if either got run over by another car. While I like the look of a dogwood bush better, the grass might stand up to motor-vehicle carnage more successfully. My ultimate decision will be made in the garden in the spring as I browse plants. I will, of course, post update pictures for this garden bed once I have replanted it.

I will be planting a new liberty apple in the spring. While I have had bad luck with them with regard to motor vehicles, I have had excellent luck with them as a cultivar in general. The first tree that I planted made buckets of apples and had zero pest problems before it was crushed to death by the DTE people. The apples were fantastic in apple butter and pie filling as well. They were also fairly good to eat out of hand.

This time, I will plant the liberty apple in the back yard. There is a spot in the garden near some already established bushes where I think it will look well and thrive.

You know what they say, "hope springs eternal"!

In the mean time, I might throw in the towel for a few months and just hibernate.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Let's face it, it is FREEZING out! This weather calls for a hot, portable lunch! We could do soup - again - but personally, I'm getting bored with taking soup to lunch all of the time. Sandwiches? Also boring, and not nearly warm enough. But I have a solution to this lunch hour problem! The delicious, the portable, the warm, the traditional: Pasty!

Pasties originated in Cornwall, England. But they have become a tradition here in Michigan. Particularly in the Upper Peninsula. Although I am not a"Yooper,"but a lowly "Troll" (I live "under da Mackinac Bridge." Get it? ;) ) I think that I can handle passing the recipe on to you all.

So there are 2 ways to make Pasties. One is faster, but uses pre-made, processed food components. The other is slower, fresher and entirely home made. They are basically the same recipe, though.

This recipe is also a good way to use up some of the veggies still lurking in your freezer from last summer's harvest.

Scroll down to the "Possible Variations" section if you need a vegan or vegetarian option. See the note the same section on gluten free.

(Note: It is healthier and more eco-friendly if the beef is organic/grass fed/local, the eggs are organic/free range/local, and the veggies are organic/local/home-grown - but this is, of course, optional.)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C).

2. Mix together the beef, carrots, onion, potato, peas, parsley, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.

3. Beat the egg in the small bowl. Set aside.

4. Lay the two pie dough circles out flat. Cut each into thirds. You should have 6 pieces total.

5. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the meat/vegetable mix onto one half of each pie dough piece.

6. Then, rub the edges of the pie dough with the beaten egg. (Use your CLEAN finger, or a brush for this step.)

7. Fold the crust over to form a pocket or dumpling over the top of the meat/vegetable mix. Crimp the edges of the crust with a fork to

seal the pie. You can also use a barbecue brush to "paint" the pasties with the remaining egg to give it more of a shiny/crispy quality when it bakes.

(Note: the store bought pie dough is not as stretchy as home made. Because of this, holes may occur when you fold the dough over. If this is the case, simply pinch the holes together to seal them and/or use less pie filling. If you end up with left over pie-filling you can use it to make breakfast

hash or in soup.)

8. Place the pies on the baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the meat is cooked through.

(Note:
It is healthier and more eco-friendly if the beef is organic/grass
fed/local, the eggs are organic/free range/local, and the veggies are
organic/local/home-grown - but this is, of course, optional.)

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder
and salt. Pulse for a few seconds and then pour into a large mixing
bowl.

2. Add the shortening and knead it into the flour with your hands until
it is crumbly.

3. Add the milk all at once and mix in with a spoon or spatula until
it begins to come together.

4. Lightly flour your hands and the counter top
and turn the dough out onto the counter top. Knead the dough ball,
folding over 10 to 20 times.

5. Using a rolling pin roll the dough to 1/3
to 1/2-inch thickness.

6. Cut the dough into sixths.

Assemble & Bake the Pasties:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C).

2. Mix together the beef, carrots, onion, potato, peas, parsley, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.

3. Beat the egg in the small bowl. Set aside.

4. Lay the two pie dough circles out flat. Cut each into thirds. You should have 6 pieces total.

5. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the meat/vegetable mix onto one half of each pie dough piece.

6. Then, rub the edges of the pie dough with the beaten egg. (Use your CLEAN finger, or a brush for this step.)

7.
Fold the crust over to form a pocket or dumpling over the top of the
meat/vegetable

mix. Crimp the edges of the crust with a fork to seal
the pie. You can also use a barbecue brush to "paint" the pasties with the
remaining egg to give it more of a shiny/crispy quality when it bakes.

(Note: the store bought pie
dough is not as stretchy as home made. Because of this, holes may occur
when you fold the dough over. If this is the case, simply pinch the
holes together to seal them and/or use less pie filling. If you end up
with left over pie-filling you can use it to make breakfast hash or in
soup.)

8. Place the pies on the baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or

until the crust is golden and the meat is cooked through.

Storage options:

These will last for about a week sealed in a zip bag or container in the refrigerator. They can be re-heated via 1-2 minutes in the microwave or the oven for 5-10 minutes.

If you wish to freeze the pasties for later use, you can let them cool, wrap them in plastic wrap, then wrap them again in aluminum foil, place

them in a zipper bag or plastic container and put them in the freezer. Reheat by baking in the oven for about 15-20 minutes at 350F or until heated through. You could also microwave them, but they may become mushy that way.

Possible Variations:

Try substituting different vegetables: Use the same amounts provided in the recipe. Keep in mind, you want to keep this pie fairly dry so that it travels well in your lunchbox. Avoid super- moist veggies such fresh tomato. Celery and

peppers could be used, but in a smaller amount if chopped into smaller pieces rather than large chunks. Try adding the same amounts of other firm root vegetables such as celery root, turnip, sweet potato etc. Firm, starchy, above-ground vegetables such peas, cauliflower, cooked beans, or cooked lentils would work as well. You could even experiment with things like sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers or cheese.

For Vegans & Vegetarians: You can substitute a legume mixture, corn/legume mixture or pureed beans for the meat. Try adding cheese. You could skip the egg when sealing the pie and replace it with a bit of soy milk if you are vegan. A couple of recipes can be found here: Vegetarian Cornish Pasties and Vegan Cornish Pasties.

Try substituting different meat: A total of any 8oz ground meat, or meat mixture should work in this recipe. You can experiment with flavors.

Try ground pork, lamb, turkey, buffalo, venison etc. A mixture of pork, lamb and beef is traditional for making meatballs and might work. It would also be interesting to substitute pre-cooked pulled pork or smoked meat along with maybe 1T of your favorite barbecue sauce.

If your taste runs to Italian food, Calzones are the Italian version of pocket pie. Basically, you use pizza dough in place of pie crust and fill it with pizza mix. A good recipe for Calzones can be found here: Jamie Oliver's Calzone Recipe. Remember, you can buy pre-made pizza dough at some groceries and at many mom and pop pizza shops, so you don't necessarily have to make it from scratch.

Make Dessert: You can also stuff pie crust fruit pie mix for a quick desert. Again, be careful to choose a drier mix if you want to eat the pie later or to travel with it. These pies can become mushy over time with a moist filling. Alton Brown also has recipes for mango chutney and chocolate filled pocket pies here: Alton Brown's Pocket Pie Recipes.

Gluten Free: Gluten free does not work well with this because most gluten free pie
crusts are not stretchy enough to make a pocket. If you happen to discover one that works, please comment below! You could always
fill a gluten free pie crust with the filling and make a non-pocket pie. It would then be more of a pot pie and less of a pasty, though. Sorry gluten free friends! Here is a recipe for gluten-free pie dough: Martha Stewart's Gluten Free Pie Dough.

EAT AND ENJOY! :)

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Several friends have asked me how to make broth or stock. They seem to expect it to be difficult.

The truth is, making broth or stock is about as simple as cooking gets!

First, a mini rant: Paleo people. I think that your diet plan is pretty good. Any diet that encourages people to eat real food, avoids chemical additives, encourages people to buy local products, and to shop the perimeter of their grocery store is fine by me! But really, it is NOT "bone broth." It is "STOCK." You didn't just invent it. It's delicious and you don't need to re-market it! Rant complete.

To make stock, you boil bones. (e.g. a chicken carcass left over from roast chicken, a beef soup bone, fish bones, etc. )

To make broth, you boil meat and or vegetables. (e.g. chicken, beef, fish, a combination of celery, onion, carrot and garlic, etc.)

You add salt to taste for both. It is that simple.

Don't believe me? Ok... let's make chicken stock.

I was lazy last night, so I bought a small roast chicken from the local grocery. My husband and I ate most of the meat off of it for dinner. I refrigerated its remains over night.

This morning, I put the chicken in a pot, added about a tablespoon of salt (to taste!), covered the chicken with water and brought it to a boil. Most recipes will tell you to boil it for 20 minutes or so.
Really, you can boil it for as long as you want to make the flavor as intense as you want it to be. Just taste it periodically to see.

(Caution: Do not forget that you have it on the stove and allow the water to evaporate completely, or

you will wind up with a burnt mess.)

I put a colander in a bowl and poured the chicken into it. The water, of course, stayed in the bowl and the chicken stayed in the colander.

The water is now stock!

Homemade stock or broth may appear cloudier than broth that you buy from a can. This is normal! The broth in a can is highly processed. It is filtered. It contains additives to it to preserve it. The
broth that you make at home is much more basic, and much healthier.

You can now refrigerate the broth for a week or freeze it for up to a couple months for use later to make soup. Or you can use immediately to make soup or other dishes. (You can pick the remaining meat off of the strained chicken bones, add veggies and spices, boil together and voila! Chicken soup!)

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the bottom of the article and share your own ideas on this topic. I
would LOVE to hear from you!

Have $? Click the donate buttons to the right to help humanity!

Broke?
Donate blood to Red Cross. Click the link under the donate section to
find out how. Or, click the "Greater Good" link under the donate
section. On that site there are "give" buttons that cost you nothing but
a glimpse at some advertisements, and still donate to charity. Also,
consider donating your time to a local charity this year.

Friday, January 2, 2015

Michigan is a wonderful state for gardening!There are four seasons, plenty of water and a wide variety of plants that grow in this climate.

Michigan also has a rich history starting with settlement by the American Indians, the French, the British, continuing through the fur trade, colonization, a war with Ohio over state borders, the logging industry, the rail industry, the auto industry and several national wars.

So what about gardeninghistory in Michigan?I plan to explore this question by posting about the history of at least 3 of our state gardens each year. Starting now!

Special Collections: crab apple, juniper, pine, rhododendron, 300 species of cultivars in the test garden

History:

Herbert Henry Dow is the founder of Dow Gardens.He is best known as a chemical industrialist who founded the Dow Chemical Company on May 18, 1897. The company grew over time to become the multi-billion-dollar industry that it is today.

Herbert H. Dow

Herbert Henry Dow was born on February 26, 1866 in Belleville,Ontario, Canada.Even from childhood, Herbert was a very curious and inventive boy.He and his grandfather Captain Bunnell loved plants and gardening.He also loved to invent things. When he was 12 years old, Herbert moved with his family to Cleveland Ohio where his father worked as a mechanical engineer.Herbert would often work along side his father and learned to invent from him.Herbert’s first childhood invention was an incubator for chicken eggs.He even managed to market a kit for the incubator on a small scale.

From 1884-1888, Herbert went to CaseSchool of Applied Science where he majored in Chemical Engineering.It was here that he became interested in the chemical bromine, one of the first chemicals extracted by Dow Chemical Company.

After graduation in 1888, Herbert taught at Huron Street Hospital College in Cleveland, Ohio.During this time, he studied more about bromine.He learned that bromine was a bi-product of the brine produced during mining in the oil industry. He became obsessed with learning a way to purify the bromine from the salts of the brine.Bromine was later to be used as a component of pharmaceuticals, a component of dyes, photograph development, to make pesticides, as a fire retardant, and as an additive to stabilize gasoline.

In 1889 Dow sought funding to open a plant to extract bromine from brine.He opened a plant in Canton Ohio which was a total flop!The brine in Canton Ohio was too far under ground, and was expensive to pump out of the earth.Dow also had not perfected his extraction process, and to top it off, his partners were afraid of electricity (a crucial component of the extraction process)!

So, in 1890, Herbert decided to move to Midland, Michigan.In Midland, the brine was closer to the surface of the earth and also contained a high percentage of bromine.By 1891 Dow's Midland plant had produced its first bromine via a chemical “blowing out process.”

Grace A. & Herbert H. Dow

From 1891-92 Dow sought funding to keep his company running and to perfect his process.He also began courting Miss Grace Ball (b.1869-d.1953).In November of 1892, Herbert and Grace got married.They went on to have 8 children: Mary, Dorothy, Helen, Ruth, Willard, Alden, Margaret, and Osborne. (Osbourne unfortunately died in infancy. The other 7 lived into adulthood .)

In 1895, Dow also began trying to extract chlorine from the brine, in addition to the bromine.This was so that he could produce and sell bleach.Unfortunately, this did not end well. On January 22, 1895 his plant exploded!

Undaunted, Herbert Dow went on to build a new company in 1896.With this company he perfected the chlorine and bromine extraction processes. Then, on May 18, 1897, Dow Chemical Company was officially established.By January 1898, Dow was able to sell his first bleach.

The original Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI in the 1890's

From 1898 to 1914 the Dow Company had financial ups and downs.Herbert continued to experiment and learn new ways to extract chemicals.By 1913 he was extracting 5 separate chemicals from the brine.These were sold to industrial companies and used to make a wide variety of household products

By 1899 Herbert Dow had acquired enough wealth to buy the land and build the house where Dow

Dow's home before the gardens were added.

Gardens is now located.

In 1900, Dow hired Elzie Cote as chief gardener.According to Elzie, “Dr. Dow, myself and our small group of willing helpers raised every hill on the property, dug the winding, twisting artificial lake a half mile long, planted... mostly native trees and shrubs. We also planned or planted the two-hundred-odd varieties of annual and perennial flowers...”

Dow’s special interest was in fruit and fruit trees.He planted 40 varieties of plums and many, many different types of apple.

On July 28, 1914 World War I broke out in Europe.Among other problems caused by the war, the supply of indigo dye from Germany to the United States came to a halt.Fortunately, Dow was available to supplement the supply of chemicals used to make this dye. This allowed Herbert to make buckets of money.

By 1916 the Dow Company was experiencing a boom in sales.Dow was selling chemicals to the U.S. government for use in explosives, to varnish airplane wings, as solvents, as salts, as aspirin, as insecticides... the list goes on and on!

On November 11, 1918 World War I came to an end.Dow Chemical had to be downsized, primarily due to the Great Depression that followed.Even so,Herbert continued company research on magnesium and other chemicals. Dow's magnesium was used to make pistons on automobiles and as a component for gasoline stabilizer.

Dow Gardens 2011

Dow also continued working on his gardens.By 1922 they were considered a show place, especially with regard to his apple orchards.From 1922-1923 Herbert and Grace took an ocean trip to Japan for vacation.While traveling they met with Paul Tonow aboard the ship.Paul was a landscape artist who was renowned for his work on Tokyo parks.Dow, impressed by Tonow, hired him to work on his land.So, in 1925 Tonow came and designed for Dow Gardens.The Japanese influence can be easily recognized in the layout of the gardens as well as in the use of water features and evergreens.

As a kind gesture to his community, Dow continued to pay Paul Tonow to design gardens for interested residents of Midland – free of any charge to them.By doing this, Dow and Tonow helped to beautify the greater Midland area.

In 1925, Dow also commissioned architect Bloodgood Tuttle to design the Midland Courthouse.He hired artists from New York City and Detroit to paint lovely murals for the courthouse as well.

Dow Gardens 2011

Unfortunately Herbert Dow became sick in with cirrhosis of the liver.Doctors attempted to perform surgery on his liver, but it was unsuccessful.He died on October 15, 1930 shortly after surgery.

After his death, Grace Dow created the Herbert H. and Grace. A. Dow Foundation in memory of her husband and to maintain the Dow Gardens. Grace was a trustee of the foundation until her death in 1953.

Herbert and Grace’s son Willard (b.1897-d.1949) went on to take over the Dow Chemical Company, beginning on October 20, 1930.Willard continued to guide the company to its current success.

The Dow’s other son, Alden (b.1904-d.1983), had no interest in chemicals.In 1933, Alden went to school and studied under Frank Lloyd Wright to become an architect. Alden also became very interested in the Dow Gardens.In 1973 Alden redesigned much of the Dow Garden grounds. He enlarged the ponds, added a small stream and waterfall, added the 2 red bridges and the white bridge.He also designed and built the Alden B. Dow Home and Studioon the grounds.This unique house became a National Historic Landmark in 1989. The house and gardens can be toured to this day.

Today, the garden is primarily funded and run by the trustees of The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation with additional support form volunteers. According to the foundation website, "The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation is
the sixth largest foundation in Michigan, and since its establishment, has
granted over $477 million to worthy programs and projects in Michigan." Many of the changes and additions made to the garden since Herbert Dow's time were made via the foundation. These include additions such as the children's garden as well as the continued experimentation in the trial gardens.

So what are you waiting for!?! Go visit Dow Gardens!!! (For more information, scroll down)

Alden B. Dow Home & Studio

Water fall added by Alden Dow in 1973

Bridge added by Alden Dow in 1973

For more information about Herbert Dow, his family and his gardens please check out the following (works cited):Please use the Amazon link below the works cited to find the books!

Whitehead, Don.The Dow Story: The History of the Dow Chemical Company. McGraw-Hill Inc. 1968. (This is the book from which came most of the historic information as well as the black and white pictures shown in this blog.)

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About Me

I am a gardening enthusiast who lives in Michigan. I am a beginner blogger, and hope to improve with practice. I became a Master Gardener through the MSU Extension program in 2015. I work as a registered nurse (RN). I am married to a wonderful man, and have an adorable dog. I love my family, nature, the water, reading, learning and sleep. Thank you for reading my profile and/or blog!